Roots of Courage
Monkey See, Monkey Destroy A Grumpy Monkey “It’s completely out of control!” “Quick, we have to evacuate immediately!” North City was on high alert. Thousands of people flooded the streets of the mountain metropolis in a hurry to save their own skins. They had just received word of a crisis occurring in the forests surrounding their limits. From the distance, nearly collapsing the city’s tall buildings with its bass, a roar louder than the horns of a thousand trains blasted their eardrums. The once peaceful city was consumed by chaos. Desperate citizens stampeded over each other to reach safety. Cars blocked intersections as if they were trying to keep people within the city instead of transporting them out. Those who realized that escape would be impossible unwilling stood their ground. The windows of homes and shops alike were armored with wooden boards while the people within them cowered in wait for something they hoped would never come. The full moon hung ominously in the night sky ignoring the commotion beneath it. Paying no mind to the fear of North City’s denizens, the moon relaxed amongst the stars and enjoyed the dominion it had over the darkness. Its light shined gracefully on the surface and provided guidance to those who were blinded by the night. Shockingly, this same luminescence was responsible for fueling an enormous terror. “Groah!” Looming over the flames of a blazing forest was a monkey unlike any other. It stood well over thirty feet high and had eyes so red with rage that they could’ve been made of lava. The ape’s brown fur was ferociously spiked around its neck and the muscles of its massive limbs were thicker than the trunks of the forest’s biggest trees. “Groah!” The earth trembled as the beast launched another war cry before balling up its meaty fists and leaning forward. Escaping from its mouth, adding to the current toll of destruction, was a solid blue beam of raw energy. The blast impacted another section of the forest and vaporized the majority of its trees. Those that survived did so barely as they were lit ablaze by the force of the attack. This menace obviously could not go unchecked. Besides North City there were other outlying villages in the monster’s path. Since these communities were not as modern as North City their inhabitants did not own vehicles fast enough to dodge the havoc. The only present methods of escape were either by foot or riding animal. Neither was suitable against the rampaging simian. The only way to prevent any casualties was to defeat the giant monkey before it could attack any of the villages. If it were to reach North City, all out mayhem would follow and millions of lives would be at risk. Unfortunately, it appeared that there was no one brave or strong enough to stand up to the terror. “Alright men, we've been training all of our lives for a day like this!” Enduring the intense flames of the forest was a small troop of fighters. Equipped with metal plates of armor that covered their vulnerable areas, the men stood together with their spears ready. The commander of this squad was a tall and muscular individual well aged above his ranks. Still, despite being elderly, he possessed a body chiseled with a sturdy mass. “Master Averel, do you think we really stand a chance?” Averel glared at the rampaging monkey without an ounce of surety. “Absolutely not, its power is beyond this world. Alas, as warriors we must do what we can to protect the public.” The troops agreed nervously with their leader. A stern man, it was easy for Averel to intimidate others with his fearlessness. His underlings knew better than to behave cowardly while he was around. They would be better off taking their chances with the monkey than disobeying an order from him. “Okay, on my command we strike as hard as we can!” “No, wait!” Levitating in the air above Averel and his squad was a young man. He had long and spiky dark hair and onyx eyes that were bold with determination. He wore a white gi which signified that he was a fighter and a red headband. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Averel demanded. “That thing – it’ll crush you!” The young man looked at Averel and smirked. “I’m pretty sure I can handle it. Besides, he’s my responsibility anyway.” Averel was silenced. He couldn't argue with that logic. “Alright,Sampheer. I’ll remember those words when this is all over,” Averel acknowledged. Sampheer nodded his head and flew up towards the monkey’s face. Its back was turned towards him so it did not notice his approach. “Yo kiddo, over here!” Sampheer called out to the monkey, gaining both its attention and anger. The monkey faced Sampheer and beat its chest. Without any provocation it rushed towards the hovering man and thrust a volley of punches at him. “It’s been a long time since I've sparred with one of these things,” Sampheer said while maneuvering to the left and right repeatedly, dodging each of the monkey’s punches with ease. “Too bad tonight was a full moon.” The monkey swung at Sampheer one last time and managed to score a hit, swatting the man out of the air like a fly. Sampheer was hurled to the earth by the punch but recovered before he could land. Miraculously, he was able to endure the devastating blow and re-ascend. “I’m so proud of you,” Sampheer teased the monkey, smiling with pride as he spoke. “But I can’t allow you to tear everything up so I’m afraid your playtime’s got to end.” Sampheer clenched his fists and closed his eyes, a veil of energy coating his body. The veins along his arms and legs pulsated in response to his excessive power flow. The veil around him became static, causing his hair to stand up like the quills of a porcupine. Remarkably, its color shifted from its original dark hue into a bright gold. A gloriously remodeled Sampheer stood proudly in the air. His muscles had spurted so much that they threatened to burst through the fabric of his gi. Averel and his warriors stared in awe at Sampheer’s transformation from their position on the ground. “You may be strong in that form, kiddo. But you’re not the only with a few tricks.” Sampheer propelled himself towards the monkey, cocking his fist back mid-flight. “Nap time!” The punch collided with the gargantuan monkey and generated a shock wave so strong that it blew away the flames of the burning forest. The monkey itself was knocked into a daze by the punch and collapsed on its back. Sampheer cracked his knuckles, the hand he used to throw the punch now stinging with pain. “He’s hardheaded just like me!” A Crying Baby It was as if a nuclear weapon had detonated. The entire forest was practically nonexistent. The earth was scorched and barren while the trees were all reduced ash. Fortunately, the monkey was defeated before it could strike any of the villages or North City. Sampheer landed on the ground, his golden hair darkened and his muscles deflated. He inspected the wasteland and was disappointed by its condition. “Man, that forest sure was beautiful. I’m going to miss training there,” he sighed. An entire forest was wiped out during the monkey’s rampage. Many innocent animals had also perished in the widespread fire. Sampheer closed his eyes and whispered a brief prayer to the Kais that their souls would find peace in the Other World. Afterwards, he resumed his survey of the damage. Climbing back into the air he flew around in search of the fallen monkey. It vanished into thin air after its defeat but Sampheer wanted to be sure that it was completely vanquished. One emergency was enough. “Waaaahhhh! Waaaahhhh! Waaaahhhh!” The sound of an infant’s scream immediately caught Sampheer’s ear. The flying martial artist arced in the direction from which he heard the wailing. Just how in the world could a mere baby survive such a ruthless fire? Sampheer scanned the scorched earth in search of the crying infant. Lying on his back in the open, flailing nakedly as he screamed was a baby boy - his head covered with a single patch of jet black hair. “There you are!” Sampheer exclaimed, the sensation of joy replacing any worry he may have previously felt. He descended down to the child and scooped him up. “My boy Mosa. You made a big mess today but that’s okay, papa got it all cleaned up.” Feeling his father’s embrace, the infant simmered down. Sampheer gently rested the cooing boy on his shoulder and inspected him for any injuries. He smiled after making a bizarre discovery – a brown monkey tail protruding from his lower back. A Tragedy Discovered The cabin was twisted, its wood singed by the overwhelming fire that also devoured the surrounding forest. Averel and his troops stood before the wreckage. The seasoned warrior was no longer proud and fearless. He was now saddened and afraid. Saddened by what he knew and fearful of the sight of it. “S-should we pull her out?” One of his subordinates cautiously asked, expecting to be reprimanded. Averel exhaled a heavy sigh of true despair. “You guys head on back to your families,” he whimpered. He approached the destroyed cabin and began forging through the debris, tears streaming his cheeks. “I must tend to mine alone.” The troops wished their leader the best before departing. Now alone Averel was able to release his true anguish. While most men would yell, Averel,a man of many battles, roared. Sampheer already predicted the worst upon making landfall near his father-in-law. Infant son wrapped in his arms, he stood by Averel’s side and watched as he fished out the limp body of a young woman. “No,” Sampheer gasped. “Yes,” Averel unwilling accepted, “my precious daughter is gone – oh Valeria, why did you insist on keeping that ape?” Sampheer, offended by Averel’s bigotry, became irate. “You can call me whatever you want but don’t insult Mosa!” Sampheer snarled. A thick blue aura coated him as he prepared to strike Averel if necessary. Averel glared at Sampheer with a fury that only a loving father could unleash. “Both of you apes get out of my sight!” Sampheer barred his teeth at Averel in aggression but ultimately decided to ignore his insults. Holding his son carefully, he took to the skies and didn't look down. Averel stood up and cradled his deceased daughter, humming a soft melody as he trudged across the wasteland. “Remember Sampheer. You said that little monkey was your responsibility. I’ll hold you to that.” Like Father, Like Son Eight Years Later The mountains outlining North City's perimeter were largely unaffected by human influence. They were wild, untamed, and dangerous; the perfect place for a Saiyan to grow up. North City sat comfortable within the mountains core. Excluding the disastrous giant monkey rampage that happened nearly a decade ago, the metropolis was mostly exempt from the majority of the world's troubles. When war rocked the Northern Continent, North City was safely secluded from invading armies as soldiers found its natural barrier to difficult to traverse. They either died out from the elements or turned back out of fear of their own demise. North City was one of the safest places in the world. Which made it an unfit place for a Saiyan to grow up. An aggressive race of warriors, Saiyans needed an environment where they were free to flex their muscles. Crowded urban areas such as North City, where they was hardly any room to breath, were as unfit as they were likely to drive a Saiyan nuts. The wilderness, while serene, was largely void of anything worth not destroying. There was also the severe lack of laws and proper enforcement that made the areas outside of the Northern Continent's cities an anarchy. Sampheer was free to watch over his son as he developed in the Northern Mountains. Now eight, the young Mosa had sprung into a curious lad with an indispensable innocence. With a caring father carefully guiding him through life, the boy was sure to into a capable man. "Mosa!" Sampheer's voice rang, deflecting off the rocky walls of the surrounding mountains. "Mosa! Where are you? This isn't funny!" An 'ole fashioned game of hide and seek had turned into a wild goose chase. Sampheer regretted teaching his boy how to hide so well. It had gotten to the point which he could almost never find him. It didn't help that the boy had an entire mountain range as his playground. Sampheer circled the skies over the Northern Mountains like a hawk circling its prey. He cautiously scanned the land below in hopes of spotting a sign of his son. He squinted his eyes as he captured a glimpse of a rather obscure clue - a furry brown tail. "That's got to be him," Sampheer figured. He descended from the atmosphere and down into a grassy lakeside area. Protruding from under a bush was the tip of the tail he had previously noticed. A Saiyan himself, Sampheer knew firsthand that the tail was the soft spot of his people. Sampheer latched his hand onto the tail and yanked its owner from under the bush. "Gotcha!" It wasn't his son. An agitated mongoose glared at Sampheer, the lowness of its growl signifying that it too considered its tail to be a private appendage. The mongoose slashed Sampheer across the face with its claws before breaking free of his grasp. "Why I ought to-" A small rock to the head coaxed the Saiyan's temper in a different direction. Sampheer looked behind him to see the culprit standing behind him and giggling at his misfortune. He was a small body whose height was slightly below average for his age with spiky black hair that dangled just below his ears. The child wore a simple outfit - a bright yellow kimono with red trimming. Hovering over the boy's head, waving at Sampheer mockingly, was a long brown monkey tail. "Mosa, there you are!" Sampheer exclaimed, embracing his son and hoisting him up to his face. "Why do you have to hide so well, kiddo? I've been looking for you for five hours!" Mosa chuckled. "Father, do what you told me to do - look for your target where you would least expect him." Sampheer raised an eyebrow. Just where in the world was his son hiding. It hit him like a meteor to the Earth's crust. "Mosa, what did I tell you about going into town?" Sampheer scolded. "But Father, I've been in these mountains ever since I can remember. Why can't I go to town and play with the other children?" Mosa asked. Sampheer placed his son on top of his shoulders, told him to hold on tight, and boosted up into the clouds. The two hovered above the airspace of North City. The sun was beginning to set; the ordinarily powder blue day sky shifting into a crisp mixture of gold, orange, red, and purple. Amazingly, North City was still alive. Lights from cars and buildings flickered brightly as night settled in, the darkness surrounding the airborne Sampheer and Mosa. "It's so pretty," Mosa whined. "I just want to know what it's like to live down there with all the others. It's so boring up here. There's no one but you and I, father." Sampheer ruffled Mosa's hair. "Me and you against the world, kiddo! We don't need to be like them - they should try being like us for a change!" Mosa sighed, dissatisfied with Sampheer's response. "You always say that but I don't see that," he murmured. When Sampheer wasn't paying attention, which seemed to happen more than it should for a single parent, Mosa would sneak down from the Northern Mountains into North City. He would watch as its inhabitants went about their daily lives. He watched as adults went to work and children went to school. He watched as families went to the park, teams played sports, and couples did that weird thing called dates. Mosa felt like he was missing out on something greater. He wanted to go to school like all of the other kids his age. Heck, he just wanted the chance to speak with another child. He had never before held a conversation with a being that wasn't his father. "Come on, Mosa. Its getting dark. We should be heading home." Sampheer took his focus off of North City as he concentrated on a correct landing. Mosa did not. He continued to stare at North City enviously. It was like a forbidden fruit to the boy. Just why did his father forbid him from entering the city in the first place? Other than his tail, he wasn't any different from the humans who predominantly lived there. As Sampheer planted his feet on the rocky terrain that belonged to the mountains, the boy concluded that he definitely had the right to experience life as the people of North City did. Silently, he planned his next adventure into the urban wonderland. This time he would intermingle. No longer would he observe from the shadows. Besides, he felt creepy doing that.